


The Light Of Hope In The Face Of Despair

by itsCupa



Category: Danganronpa
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 03:13:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16905024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsCupa/pseuds/itsCupa
Summary: Mukuro Ikusaba spent her life living in the shadow of her twin sister Junko Enoshima. Clouded by her sister's despair, she first experienced light in the form of Makoto Naegi, but would it be able to save her from her sister's plan?





	1. His Smile

From an early age, all Mukuro knew was darkness. From being homeless, to running away and joining Fenrir, to being manipulated and verbally abused by her twin sister Junko, her life hadn't been easy. She was out-of-touch with the world around her, showing it no interest. That was, until she first saw Makoto Naegi.

 

Makoto, by comparison, had lived a very normal life. All he really had going for him was luck, something that had earned him a place in Hope's Peak as the SHSL lucky student.

 

Makoto looked around the gym, where the entrance ceremony was being held on the first day, seeing several students already in school. He still couldn't believe he had made it into this school. They say once you graduate you're set for life. Makoto could've only dreamed of attending this school and on the main course no less. He decided to try and introduce himself to other students in the class, hoping to make some friends. The first person he noticed was a familiar face, that of Sayaka Maizono. He and Sayaka used to attend the same middle school, and he'd had a small crush on her.

"Sayaka Maizono?" Makoto asked, going over to her. He knew she was attending this school, he'd seen it all over the forums. She looked up at him, a small giggle falling out of her mouth.

"Makoto, right? Makoto Naegi?" She asked, smiling as though she knew him already. She recognised Makoto, even though they'd rarely spoken in the past. Makoto's eyes lit up in surprise and happiness.

"Y-Yeah!" Sayaka giggled again, brushing a lock of hair out of her pretty face. She had a pale blush on her cheeks, something Makoto didn't notice at all. They started talking, reminiscing about the past and their plans while they were here.

 

By the time the entrance ceremony started, he had introduced himself to almost everyone except the mysterious dark-haired girl stood by the wall. He glanced over at her, giving her a friendly smile as he took his place for the ceremony. Little did he know how much that one kind gesture would change her life.

 

_What is this new feeling?... when that boy smiled at me... what has he done to me?... why does my heart beat so fast? It's never done this before... and my face... Why is it so warm?... why am I feeling this way? What do I do now?_

 

Mukuro sat herself down next to Junko, trying to maintain her usual calm and distant composure. Junko immediately noticed something was up with her but decided not to make a comment just now. She could wait until after the opening ceremony.

 

"What is with you today? You're acting like more of a dumbass than usual." Junko commented to Mukuro as they stood in the girl's bathroom. They'd come straight here at the end of the entrance ceremony, since Junko wanted to talk to Mukuro alone.

"Oh, it's nothing. I might be coming down with something though..." Mukuro told her, shaking off Junko's comment about her acting like a dumbass. She was more than used to Junko's nasty comments, having heard them since the moment Junko could talk.

"I know you're lying to me," Junko told her, flicking Mukuro on the forehead. The dark-haired girl didn't even flinch, just watching her twin sister. "I'll figure out what it is you're hiding. Just watch me!" She flicked her hair and strutted out with her nose in the air. Mukuro watched her leave, letting out a sigh once Junko was gone. She took off her gloves and splashed her face with cool water, trying to pinpoint the exact moment she got this weird feeling inside.

"It was... when that boy smiled at me... who even is he?" Mukuro murmured to herself, remembering the exact moment things changed for her inside. It was when Makoto smiled at her. She'd seen plenty of smiles before, but that was the first time it was for her. Nobody, not even her parents or Junko, had smiled at her or shown her much affection. She grabbed some toilet paper and dried her face, throwing it away before heading to class before she was late. She tried to keep herself controlled and calm, trying to hide her true feelings.

 

A few students glanced up at her as she entered the classroom, but soon turned back to talking to each other after a moment. She sighed and found her desk, sitting down. Before long, someone approached her desk trying to get her attention.

"Um, excuse me? I don't think we've been introduced yet." She looked up and saw the boy who had first smiled at her standing in front of her desk. He still had a pleasant smile on his face, and it was towards her again. She managed to keep calm, not letting it show that her heart was beating a million miles a minute. "My name is Makoto Naegi, what's yours?"

"Mukuro Ikusaba." She told him, taking a deep breath to steady her heart rate. She still appeared calm and almost distant on the outside but was going crazy on the inside. Makoto smiled brightly as the teacher entered the classroom. He would've liked to continue this conversation, but had to return to his desk for class.

"It was nice meeting you, Ikusaba-san. I'll see you around." He said, going back to his desk. Mukuro let out a deep breath, looking around. Junko looked at her with a small smirk, having already figured out what she promised she would back in the girl's bathroom. Mukuro didn't know that yet, but Junko would surely bring it up with her soon enough.

 

"You, like, totally have a crush on that Naegi guy," Junko said as she barged her way into Mukuro's dorm room. Mukuro sighed, closing the door. She didn't want anyone hearing that, especially since she didn't believe it herself.

"Do you think that's what it is?" Mukuro asked anxiously, holding on to the edge of one of her gloves with her other hand. Junko laughed and sat on the bed, taking up a lot of the space.

"It's so obvious. I'm surprised he didn't notice your dumbass acting like some kind of lovestruck idiot around him." Junko laughed, neatening her skirt and cardigan. Mukuro was silent, wondering if she really did have a crush on Makoto. She really hoped not, because she was certain Junko would use that to bring her a large amount of despair. "Weeeeeeell, you should thank me. I'm so going to set you two up." Junko announced, getting up. Mukuro bit her tongue, not making a sound. She wasn't so opposed to the idea, even if she knew Junko was doing it just to cause the both of them to despair later down the line. "I'm leaving now. Bye, sis!" She strutted out, slamming the door behind her. Mukuro sighed softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her thoughts drifted unwillingly to Makoto, feeling her face warm up lightly. She actually liked this feeling inside.

"This feeling I have towards Makoto... is this... what they call love?" 

 

"Naegi-kuuuuuuuuuuun!" Junko announced loudly as she sat on his desk. Makoto looked up at her, quite surprised someone like her would talk to someone like him.

"Good morning, Enoshima-san." Makoto smiled his usual smile at her, the one that made Mukuro fall head over heels for him. Junko couldn't see why, but she brushed that aside. Each to their own.

"We're like, totally getting lunch tomorrow. You'd better not keep a lady waiting." She told him. He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't exactly against having lunch with Junko but assumed he would spend most lunchtimes with Sayaka since they'd hit it off right away.

"Alright. You got it." Makoto laughed awkwardly. Junko beamed, jumping up and strutting out of the classroom. Just as she left, Sayaka walked up to Makoto. She'd heard most of their conversation but waited until after Junko had left to approach Makoto.

"Looks like someone has a date tomorrow." Sayaka giggled, getting Makoto's attention. He gasped and flushed with embarrassment. He didn't think Junko was asking him on a date when she asked him out for lunch tomorrow. Now Sayaka has said it, he thought it could be true. He'd just have to wait until tomorrow to find out why Junko has asked him to lunch.

 

Junko headed back to her dorm, making quite an entrance. Waiting for her in the dorm was Mukuro. Junko had told her to wait here for her, and she'd done as she was told. She looked up at Junko when she entered, not speaking.

"You should, like, be on your knees thanking me," Junko told her as she slammed the door shut behind her. She didn't want anyone else listening to her. "I, like, totally just set you up on a date with Naegi," Junko told her, sitting on the bed. Mukuro's eyes widened slightly in shock.

"You did?" Her voice seemed to stick in her throat. She really did want that but knew it would only turn horrible in the end. Junko would do whatever it took to create absolute despair. Even if that meant making Mukuro somewhat happy before destroying it all in a blaze of misery and despair.

"Of course I did!" She glanced at the time on her phone, jumping up. "We have class now. We'll discuss this later." She strutted out, leaving the door wide open. Mukuro silently followed her out, locking the door behind her.

 

The next morning Junko let herself into Mukuro's room bright and early. Mukuro was already awake, used to the early mornings from her time in Fenrir.

"Goooooood morning!" Junko announced herself loudly, nearly making Mukuro jump. Mukuro turned to face her, noticing immediately that Junko had brought several cases with her.

"Good morning," Mukuro said plainly. Junko closed the door with a slam, dragging her cases further into the room. Mukuro helped her as best she could, being reprimanded by Junko for not helping sooner. "What are you doing here?" She asked. She knew Junko woke up early, spending a lot of time in the morning on her makeup, and didn't expect to see her for at least another two hours.

"Duh! I'm here to make you look presentable for your date." Junko told her, opening up one of the cases. The case was full of makeup, and Mukuro could only assume the rest of the cases were full of makeup.

"Are you sure this is necessary? It isn't really a date..." Mukuro started hesitantly. She didn't like wearing makeup anyway and didn't think it was necessary if she was just having lunch with Makoto. It wasn't even set to be a date.

"Of course I'm sure. You really like him, right?" Junko started, opening the rest of her cases. Mukuro nodded slowly. She wasn't even too sure herself if she liked him in that way. "Good, because he probably won't like ugly girls with spotty faces," Junko said firmly, sitting Mukuro down at her desk. She was going to use it as a makeup station. Mukuro silently allowed Junko to do whatever, trusting she knew what she was doing.

 

Makoto sat in the cafeteria, waiting for Junko to show up. She hadn't spoken to him anymore that day, so he assumed everything was still okay for their lunch date. After a while, Mukuro approached Naegi's table. She'd been watching him for a little while, trying to build the confidence to speak to him.

"Naegi-kun...?" Mukuro asked hesitantly, trying to get his attention. He looked up at her, giving her a friendly smile like he would to anyone who spoke to him.

"Oh, hello Ikusaba-san. Didn't expect to see you here." Makoto admitted, still smiling. He never usually saw her at lunch, although this was only their third day here and he'd spend the past two lunchtimes hanging out with Sayaka.

"Enoshima-san asked me to tell you she can't make it today. Something came up." Mukuro told him. That's what Junko had told her to say to him earlier while she was doing her hair and makeup. Makoto nodded, sighing. He was actually looking forward to it, but there would always be another time. That was just his luck. "We could have lunch together instead... I-if you want to, of course." She started stumbling over her words thanks to her social awkwardness. She was, as Junko put it, out-of-touch.

"Of course. Come, sit." Makoto encouraged. Mukuro sat down opposite Makoto, hooking her book bag to the side of her chair. There was a moment of awkward silence between them, with neither of them knowing what to say to the other, before Makoto finally broke the silence. "Your makeup looks nice." He told her. He could tell she was wearing it, since it covered the freckles that usually covered her nose and cheeks.

"Oh, Thank you. Enoshima-san did it for me this morning. She insisted it would make me look prettier." She told him shyly. That was the part of the truth she was willing to share with him. She didn't mention it was to impress him. Judging by his face, if that was her goal she'd been unsuccessful.

"I think you look prettier without the makeup," Makoto told her honesty. She was blushing bright red underneath the foundation Junko had told her would cover everything. She was right, clearly. She opened her mouth like she was about to say something, closing it again a moment later. She did this a few more times, causing Makoto to laugh awkwardly. "Sorry, did I make you flustered?" He asked hesitantly. She nodded her head a little. That seemed to describe this feeling inside perfectly, but she hadn't known how to explain it since she'd never felt this way before. "Ah, I'm sorry. I really mean it, though." He told her. There was another moment of awkward silence between them before Naegi spoke again. "So... how are you settling into Hope's Peak?" He asked.

"It's... different." She managed to answer after a second. Makoto nodded his head understandingly. He could understand how high school could be different from being in the military, but he wasn't sure that would relate from going to a normal school to this prestigious institution. "It's a nice different, though." She told him. She liked being here, because it meant she got to see him, see his warm and inviting smiles just for her.

"It is, isn't it? I never expected to end up here." Makoto admitted to her. He hadn't really told this to anyone else but felt like he could talk about anything with her. He didn't really understand it himself. He just felt like he could trust her. "I mean, I was just an ordinary boy attending an ordinary school. I thought my luck was pretty ordinary too, but apparently not." He laughed softly. His laugh was contagious, causing Mukuro to laugh softly.

"I'm glad you were chosen to be the lucky student this year." She told him honestly. She really was glad. If he wasn't here, she didn't know how long she would've been made to wait to be shown even the tiniest amount of kindness. Maybe she would've died before she had the chance, knowing Junko's desire to bring total despair. That was something that would always be in her mind, no matter how hard she fell for Naegi.


	2. So New Yet So Familiar

"So... how was your date with Enoshima-san?" Sayaka asked as Makoto and her met up at the end of the school day. They hadn't spoken in class since they had arrived as it was starting. Now they were walking back to the dorms together, just the two of them.  
"Umm... about that..." Makoto laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. He'd almost forgotten he was supposed to meet up with Junko before Mukuro showed up and he spent the whole of lunch with her instead. "Enoshima-san didn't show up. Something came up for her, or something. Ikusaba-san and I hung out together instead." Makoto told her. Sayaka was a little surprised by that.  
"Really? Ikusaba-san actually spoke to you and spent time with you? She's, like, the ultimate outcast or something!" Sayaka told him. Mukuro often kept her distance from others, not wanting to form relationships so she wouldn't be so depressed when Junko put her plan for the biggest, most awful, most tragic despair into action. Makoto nodded sheepishly, a small smile on his face.  
"She's actually a really nice girl behind all that, just shy." He told her. Sayaka giggled as they arrived at the dorm house. Nobody else seemed to be around, which was a surprise to them both. Usually, other students were around doing whatever they did, but not today. "I'm gonna try and get to know her better," Makoto said confidently. He wanted to be friends with everyone in the class and was determined to do so. Sayaka giggled again, nodding her head. She believed Makoto was the kind of guy to want to befriend everyone he could because he was just so kind.

 

"Mukuro!!" Junko shouted loudly as the dark-haired girl entered her bedroom. She had been hanging out in there all afternoon, skipping class. She hadn't wanted to see Makoto for the rest of today, also helping Mukuro look like she was telling the truth.  
"J-Junko!" Mukuro gasped, closing the door. She had expected Junko to be in her own room, not hanging out in hers. Junko laughed, enjoying the flustered expression Mukuro's face was making.  
"Soooooo, how did your date go?" Junko asked, jumping up and dragging Mukuro over to the bed. The dark haired girl allowed her sister to do whatever she wanted, just wanting her to be happy.  
"It wasn't that much of a date..." Mukuro timidly told her sister. While around other people Mukuro was a strong yet silent individual, around her sister she was more timid and shy. "We just kinda talked and had lunch together. Nothing romantic or date-like." Her voice was a little more soft than usual. Junko laughed.  
"God, you're so clueless," Junko told her, jumping on to Mukuro's bed and landing on her back. Mukuro just sat on the edge, watching her sister's antics. They always interested her. "Well, whatever. What did he say about your fabulous makeover?" She asked, sitting up and looking over at her sister. She still had the makeup on from earlier. Junko definitely thought she looked better with it.  
"He said it looked nice, but he thinks I look better without the makeup," Mukuro told her honestly. She didn't exactly have a positive view of herself thanks to Junko's constant negativity about her face and body, but if Makoto thought she was prettier without makeup then how bad could she really be?  
"He's a boy. What does he know about beauty and fashion? Not as much as me, clearly." Junko brushed it off entirely, even though part of her wanted Mukuro to start believing Makoto and stand up to her and eventually betray her for that despair. Mukuro just didn't have it in her, and that's why she'd always be a disappointment to her. A disappointment that didn't deserve the love and affection of Makoto Naegi. Junko would see it done that Makoto would break the soldier's toughened heart and throw her into despair.

 

Makoto smiled warmly at the sisters as they entered the classroom the next morning. He had been talking to Sayaka before they entered, but she'd decided to start talking to Leon so Makoto could see the sisters.  
"Hi, Enoshima-san. Hi, Ikusaba-san." Makoto greeted them both. Mukuro waved shyly, words refusing to fall out of her mouth. Junko ignored her sister, grinning brightly at Makoto instead.  
"Hi, Naegi-san. Sorry about yesterday. You know how it is, people just dying for my attention." Junko said, flicking her hair back over her shoulder hitting Mukuro in the face. The dark haired girl seemed to snap out of whatever was going on through her mind, blinking a couple of times. Makoto smiled sheepishly, paying more attention to her than Junko.  
"It's fine, don't worry." He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. Junko laughed, walking off and leaving Mukuro to talk to Makoto alone. There was an awkward silence between them before Makoto decided to speak. "I see you're not wearing makeup today... ah..." he started, not sure where he was really going with this. He just felt he had to fill the empty space with words. Maybe things would be less awkward. Mukuro didn't answer his words verbally. Rather, a nod of the head was all she could do. "You look really pretty without it..." the words fell from his mouth before he had a chance to control them. A dark blush quickly covered her cheeks, words failing to form a response. Makoto was quiet for another moment, before deciding on something. "Me and Maizono-san were planning to hang out in the rec room after school for a while, want to join us?" He asked. He was sure Sayaka wouldn't mind if Mukuro joined them, so he had no problems inviting her. Who knows, maybe it could help bring Mukuro out of her shell a little.  
"S-Sure..." Mukuro finally spoke, even though it was just one word and she'd stumbled over the word. She didn't need to say any more than that. Makoto smiled at her, that smile that made her fall for him the day they met. She would do anything in her power to keep that smile safe from her sister's despair.

 

At the end of the school day, Makoto, Sayaka and Mukuro headed to the rec room. None of them had been up here before and were all impressed by how fancy it was. Surprisingly, nobody else was around.  
"So... what do you two want to do?" Makoto asked awkwardly. He was happy to do whatever the girls wanted to do. Mukuro looked around the room to see what the rec room had to offer. "There's an Othello board... a pool table... a darts board... Umm..." Makoto started listing off activities they could do as a group.  
"Darts sounds fun," Mukuro said softly, looking up at the darts board. She had played a little darts while she was with Fenrir, but wouldn't consider herself good at it. Sayaka nodded her head, looking over at the board.  
"I'm up for that, although the Ultimate Soldier might be better than an Ultimate Idol." She teased, giggling and gently nudging Mukuro's shoulder. That confused the dark haired girl, who wasn't used to such a gentle nudge. She was more used to shoves and pushes. Makoto laughed softly too, making Mukuro awkwardly smile. She loved to hear Makoto laugh and see him smile. Maybe one day she could be the reason he smiled and laughed. That would be her happiness, and her hope in a world clouded with despair.

 

Junko sat in her room, lost in thought. Most of her thoughts were on her sister, Mukuro. She was getting pretty close to Makoto, something that she had wanted. She noticed how Mukuro was around him. She had wanted this, and now it seemed to be the perfect time to start the second part of her plan to bring her sister into despair. Just a small step to bring the world into absolute pure despair. She smiled and laughed to herself, imagining it all.

 

The next morning, she knocked loudly on Sayaka's dorm room door. She wanted to talk to her alone. Sayaka came to the door, smiling in surprise. She hadn't expected to see Junko outside of class.   
"Good morning Enoshima-san. What brings you here?" She asked, picking up her bag. It was almost time for her to leave to make it to class on time.  
"I need to talk to you about something private. Like, right now." She told her, pushing Sayaka back into her room and closing the door. Sayaka was a little confused, but let it happen. "Sooooo... I heard you like Naegi-kun." Junko said with a slight smirk, fiddling with her blonde hair. Sayaka blushed at the mention of Makoto's name. That told Junko all she needed to know. "Some little birdie told me he likes you back but is too shy to tell you. You should totally confess to him." She told her matter-of-factly.   
"You really think I should?" She asked hesitantly. She'd been thinking about it for a while now, ever since they'd gotten back in contact with each other, but wasn't sure. Now Junko was encouraging her to go for it, all she had to think of was the words.   
"Totally! I wouldn't tell you if I didn't think you should." Junko told her, flashing her a bright smile. Sayaka nodded, smiling. Junko's smile was almost contagious.  
"Alright. I'm gonna tell him today!" She giggled and opened the door so they could go. "Do you want to walk with me, or are you going to wait for Ikusaba-san?" Sayaka asked as they both left the room.   
"I should probably wait for her. I'll see you later though!" She smiled and strutted off, heading over to Mukuro's room. Sayaka watched her for a moment before heading off to school and to find Makoto. She did have something to talk to him about, after all.

 

"Good morning Maizono-san." Makoto greeted her like usual, a smile on his face. Sayaka blushed lightly, seeing Makoto. She also noticed the light blush on Makoto's face when he talked to her. She'd never noticed it before.  
"Good morning Naegi-kun. Can I talk to you about something?" Sayaka asked, smiling sweetly. Makoto nodded, taking her over to the corner of the room. It wasn't exactly private, but it would do. "I wanted to tell you that... Umm..." Sayaka hesitated. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say but decided she should just come out of it. That would be best, right? It wasn't like she had anything to lose. "I have a crush on you." Makoto was shocked and surprised. He'd liked Sayaka for years, ever since middle school, but he never thought she would actually feel the same way about him too.  
"I have a crush on you too," Makoto told her, flushing red with awkwardness. Sayaka smiled, hugging him. Makoto hugged back, his middle-school-self cheering with excitement. "Does this mean we're dating now?" He asked awkwardly. She nodded, giggling.   
"I guess this does!" She told him, smiling happily. He held her hands, smiling sheepishly. He'd imagined this happening but never expected his imaginations to become reality. Now they were he didn't know what to do.  
"Congrats guys!" Aoi Asahina suddenly interrupted their conversation. Makoto and Sayaka both turned to her, blushing and smiling. Makoto was still holding Sayaka's hand.  
"Thank you!" Sayaka beamed happily, giving Makoto's hand a squeeze. Neither of them noticed Mukuro had seen everything, and her heart was shattering right in front of them.

 

_I don't get it... Makoto's my friend... I should be happy for him, so why do I feel like this then?... do I... love him? Am I even capable of 'love'?..._

 

Mukuro laid on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her cheeks were stained with her tears, although she couldn't understand why. She'd skipped class ever since she saw Makoto and Sayaka together. She was happy for them, sure, but she couldn't help feeling something ache in her heart. Her door opened, and her sister strutted in. She didn't even have the motivation to look over at her.  
"Aww. Look at you." Junko said mockingly after closing the door behind her. Mukuro let out a quiet sigh, still looking up at the ceiling. "I'm actually jealous of you, sis. You look like despair is running through your veins. Oh, I wish I could feel how you do." She jumped on to the bed, almost sitting on Mukuro. The dark-haired soldier didn't even flinch. She wouldn't have cared either way if Junko landed on her or not, something Junko picked up on instantly. "Wow. You're totally broken over this Naegi guy. He isn't worth-" Junko was interrupted by Mukuro slapping her across the cheek. It was just one simple flick of the wrist, but the slap echoed through the room.  
"You're wrong, Junko. Nobody's made me feel the way Naegi-kun has. He makes me happy, he makes me feel more alive. Now he's with Maizono-san. We're just gonna drift apart, and after we leave here we're never gonna see each other again and I'm gonna lose that feeling forever." Mukuro told her, her voice cracking slightly. Her whole body showed sadness. Junko was silent for a minute. She honestly didn't know what to say. "You can leave now. I just want to be alone for a while." Mukuro told her, rolling on to her side so her back was to Junko. The blonde huffed, getting up and leaving. She didn't want it to show, but she was kinda happy Mukuro was standing up to her a bit. She wanted her sister to turn against her and betray her because that would give her so much despair.

 

The next morning, Mukuro had dragged herself to class. She didn't want to, but she felt she had to. Makoto came in a little after she did, and she was surprised to see Sayaka wasn't with him. He came over to her, smiling just like usual.   
"Good morning Naegi-kun. Is Maizono-san not with you today?" Mukuro asked, doing an excellent job at hiding the sadness in her heart. Makoto sat down at the desk in front of hers, turning the chair around. Sakura wouldn't mind.  
"No. She had to go to a rehearsal." Makoto told her. Mukuro nodded slowly, not making eye contact with him. For most people, Mukuro not making eye contact with them was normal, but that wasn't the case with Makoto. "You okay? Enoshima-san said you weren't feeling well yesterday."  
"Oh, yeah. I'm feeling better." She told him, even though that was a lie. She still felt just as off as she had the day before. Makoto smiled, believing her. He didn't have a reason not to.  
"I'm glad. I missed you yesterday." Makoto told her, causing Mukuro to blush. The pain in her chest made itself known again, realising he didn't love her like she loved him. "If you want, since Maizono-san is going to be busy all day, we could go hang out together at the park." He suggested. His choice of words surprised Mukuro.  
"Would she not let us hang out together if she was here?" She asked curiously, tilting her head slightly. Makoto shook his head, looking a little awkward. At first, he didn't understand why Mukuro would say that, but then he figured it out.  
"Ah, no. It's not that..." Makoto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, looking at the floor for a moment. "It wouldn't be just me and you hanging out. She'd be with us." Makoto said, trying to explain himself. Luckily for him, Mukuro brought it.  
"Okay. Sounds good." Mukuro said, unable to even force herself to smile. Makoto noticed, putting it down to her not feeling completely okay. He flashed her a smile before going back to his own desk. Class was about to start anyway.

 

"So. Fenrir's secret weapon is a high school girl, currently affecting Hope's Peak?"  
"Yeah. A girl called Ikusaba Mukuro."  
"Yes. Maybe we need to pay her visit..."

 


	3. Lost And Found

Makoto and Mukuro walked in silence, sitting down by the fountain. Class had just finished, and they'd left together without speaking to anyone else. They wanted to spend as much time together as possible before Makoto would have to meet up with Sayaka.   
"Relaxing here, isn't it?" Makoto said, looking around the park. No other students were around, giving the pair of them some privacy. Mukuro nodded, holding her bag tightly. She was feeling shy and insecure, especially knowing she couldn't express her true feelings to Makoto.  
"Yeah. It's nice." She said plainly, sitting on the edge of the fountain. She set her bag down at her feet, looking up at the clear blue sky. Makoto did the same, taking off his blazer too. It was quite hot today, and they could both feel it. Mukuro was rather apprehensive to take her blazer off though. She'd been in places far hotter than this before, and she just didn't feel the need to like Makoto did.  
"You always seem so serious, Ikusaba-san." He commented. She was silent, just accepting his comment as fact. She was so serious about everything because it upset Junko when she wasn't focused. "Why don't we do something fun. Ooh, like tag!" He suggested playfully. She looked at him curiously. "Ah, do you know how to play tag?" He asked curiously.   
"Yeah, But it's been so long." She said to him. Mukuro looked at the fountain like she had been throughout their entire conversation. Makoto was really starting to get concerned by how distant Mukuro seemed. Hopefully, he could pull her out of that though.  
"I'll be it then," Makoto said playfully. Mukuro got up and ran off. He laughed and chased her. She stayed within sight of the fountain, wanting to make sure her belongings didn't get stolen. She also made sure Makoto could see her and she could see him. He finally caught up to her, tapping her shoulder. "You're it!" He said playfully, turning and running. Mukuro smiled and followed him. At that moment, she wasn't a toughened mercenary trying to bring the world into despair under the thumb of her twin sister. She was a young girl playing tag with her friend. They played for a while until Makoto got a text on his phone. He stopped to read the message. She noticed he wasn't playing anymore, going over to him.   
"What's the matter, Naegi-kun?" She asked curiously. He sighed and focused on his response to the message before responding to Mukuro.  
"It's Sayaka. She's finished rehearsals and she asked me to meet her for dinner tonight." He explained to her. She nodded, feeling disheartened. He was leaving, and it felt like they'd only been here for a little while.   
"I'll just head back to the dorms then. I'll see you tomorrow, Naegi-kun." She said to him, turning and walking back to where her bag was. He went with her, putting his blazer back on.   
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, Ikusaba-san." He said, grabbing his bag. She nodded, seeming to pause as he ran off to meet Sayaka. She felt a sadness as he left. She pushed it to the back of her mind, wandering off back in the direction of the dorms.

 

As Mukuro walked by the road, she got an uncomfortable feeling of being followed. She stopped walking and turned to look, seeing a van parked just behind her.   
"Excuse me." A voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned, seeing a man in front of her. He was muscular, tall and tanned. She got a negative aura around him, but she couldn't put her finger on why. "Are you Ikusaba Mukuro?" He asked. She raised her eyebrow, surprised someone like that was looking for her. She didn't answer verbally, but the tattoo on the back of her hand was enough to tell him that she was Mukuro. Before she could ask why he was looking for her, she was grabbed from behind. She felt a needle pierce her neck, and something being injected into her. "You need to come with us." She was told, being picked up. She struggled, finding her body going limp and her vision darkening. She was thrown into the back of the van, blacking out moments later.

 

"NAEGI-KUN!" Makoto looked up from his desk, seeing Junko shouting his name and strutting over to his desk. Sayaka was with him, and they could both tell she was super pissed off. "Where the hell is my beloved and disappointing sister, Ikusaba-san?!" She snapped, slamming her hand down on the desk. Makoto looked confused as everyone turned to stare. He would've called Junko out on calling Mukuro 'disappointing', and openly admitting their relationship which she'd tried hard to hide, but he didn't want to make her any angrier.   
"What do you mean?" Sayaka asked curiously. Junko glared at her before turning her attention back to Makoto. She wasn't interested in Sayaka since she wouldn't know anything. Junko could already tell.   
"You were the last person seen with her, Naegi-kun. She wasn't in her room when I went to find her this morning, and her bag was missing. She isn't here either. You have to find her, or I'll cut off your skin and turn it into a coat. Am I clear?" She asked in a very threatening tone. She would never admit it, but she did need Mukuro as her partner in crime. At least for now. Makoto nodded, holding his breath. Junko didn't say any more, strutting out of the classroom.  
"What was that about?" Sayaka asked once Junko had gone and everyone had stopped staring, sitting on Makoto's desk. Makoto hadn't mentioned to Sayaka that he'd spent time with Mukuro yesterday, considering it had never really come up.   
"Me and Ikusaba-san spent some time together yesterday. Apparently now she's missing and I'm the last person to have seen her." Makoto explained blandly. Sayaka folded her arms, having already figured that out from Junko.   
"Need any help finding her Naegi-kun?" He turned his attention, seeing Kyoko Kirigiri stood beside his desk. The ultimate detective was certainly going to be helpful in his hunt for the missing girl.   
"Yeah. Thank you, Kirigiri-san." He said, standing up. It didn't matter if they skipped class, this was by far more important. They both left the classroom, leaving Sayaka behind. She had to leave for another rehearsal soon anyway.  
"Let's start by following the path from where the two of you parted back to Ikusaba-san's dorm," Kyoko suggested. Makoto just followed her lead. She was the detective after all. Surely she'd had to do something like this before in the past.

 

Mukuro's eyes opened slowly, looking around at her new surroundings. She was in what appeared to be a dark, dirty cell. She tried to stand up, noticing she was bound by metal cuffs and rope. She groaned, struggling until she heard a dark laugh.  
"Not so tough now, are you?" The man asked, suddenly hitting her across the face with a thin whip-like cord. She hissed quietly, feeling the cord strike her. The man laughed again, continuing to hit her across the chest and stomach with the cord. She just took it, in a position which rendered her unable to fight back and defend herself. "Ultimate Soldier. Can't even get out and fight me back." The man set down the cord, choosing to stamp on her stomach instead. She struggled, in considerable pain from the man stamping her. He eventually stopped, kicking her in the face once. That once was harsh enough to break her nose and jaw, however, sending blood dribbling from her nose. "We'll find some use for you, don't worry." He told her, turning and leaving. She heard a heavy metal door slam shut, leaving her on her own. She looked down, closing her eyes. She knew there wasn't any chance of getting out any time soon.

 

The minutes were turning to hours, and those hours were starting to turn into days. Nobody entered the room Mukuro was bound in, but a continuous buzzing prevented her from sleeping. She was sleep deprived, dehydrated, starving and slowly slipping into insanity. Her lonely mind had started creating visions to keep her company, visions of Makoto Naegi. She kept seeing him, but he never came close. He couldn't. He came and went, and she'd stopped being able to convince herself he was really there.

 

Makoto was worrying more and more. Sayaka was almost always busy, so he was more often than not left to worry about his friend. She hadn't been in contact with anyone at all, not even her sister Junko. The blonde had even threatened to rip off his balls if he didn't find Mukuro soon. Thankfully he had detective Kyoko Kirigiri on the case to help him.  
"Naegi-kun, I found something." She said to him. He had been pacing around in the library, but now he rushed over to see what Kyoko had discovered. It was an email, sent by an unknown source to a known leader of Fenrir. It detailed a hostage, and that whoever had sent the email had no intention of letting the hostage go.  
"Do you think the hostage is Ikusaba-san?" Makoto asked worriedly, reading through the email again. Kyoko sighed, looking at the dates. They seemed to line up a little too close with Mukuro's disappearance to be a coincidence or something that can be ignored.   
"We can't ignore the possibility. When we find out where this email came from, we will most likely know if Ikusaba-san is the hostage the email describes." Kyoko said to him, standing up. She handed over the laptop she'd been using, giving Makoto a specific order. "Ask Fujisaki-kun to trace where this email came from. As soon as he knows, tell him to contact me as well as you." She said to him, dusting off her skirt. "I would do it myself, but I'm very busy with other things." She apologised, hurrying off. Makoto sighed, heading off to the dorms with the laptop. That's most likely where Chihiro would be at this time of the day.

 

Makoto sat on Chihiro's bed, starting to get tired. It was getting late, but Chihiro was still working very hard to locate where the email came from.   
"I think I found it." He eventually spoke, looking up from his laptop at Makoto. That woke him up instantly. He rushed over and tried to look at the screen. Displayed was a map with a location on the other side of the city pinpointed. "It came from an old warehouse, and I think I've got security footage of people entering the location." Chihiro continued, pulling up another tab. He started the footage, both of them watching the screen. A van pulled in to view, with a few people getting out once it had stopped. The men opened the back, taking something out the back.   
"Pause it," Makoto said suddenly, noticing something. Chihiro stopped the footage instantly, with Makoto's face now inches away from the screen trying to figure it out. "Can you zoom in?" He asked, pointing at a specific point on the screen. Chihiro nodded once, zooming in. They both realised at the same time that what had been taken out the back of the van was an unconscious Mukuro. Her hand tattoo was perfectly in shot of the security camera, so Makoto knew it was her. "I have to go help her." He said, immediately worried. He had no clue what they wanted with her, but he was certain it wasn't anything good.   
"It's late, Naegi-kun," Chihiro said, stopping him in his tracks. Makoto looked back at him, an almost desperate look in his eyes. "You need to rest tonight. You'll be of no use to Ikusaba-san if you're exhausted." Chihiro told him softly. Makoto frowned and nodded, his shoulders drooping and a sad look forming on his face. "I'll forward this information to Kirigiri-san. Go rest." Chihiro told him, getting to work on sending everything he had discovered to Kyoko. Makoto's feet dragged on the floor as he walked slowly back to his dorm in defeat.

 

The next morning Makoto woke up early. He was quick to get ready, heading to the door where Kyoko was waiting for him. She had no expression on her face, but her arms were folded in front of her like she'd been waiting.  
"You ready to go?" She asked, her position not changing. He nodded and stepped out his room, closing and locking the door. "Good. I've already figured out how we get in and out without much detection, but where they're keeping her if she's still there is another story." Kyoko told him, walking quickly. Makoto kept up. He didn't care what he had to do, but he had to help her.

 

When they reached the warehouse, they soon learned that they didn't need to be so cautious. The place was practically abandoned. That made Makoto worry though, anxious that they had moved Mukuro somewhere else and it would be too late to save her. They were both silent as they wandered around, Kyoko stopping suddenly as she heard a very faint buzzing.   
"Naegi-kun, this way." She said to Makoto, walking in the direction of the sound. He was still able to hear it too, wondering what was causing that sound. It was the loudest right next to a door, and Kyoko realised the sound was coming from inside. Makoto tried to open the door, frowning when it dawned on him that the door was locked. That wasn't a surprise to Kyoko. She quietly pulled a pin out of her hair and gently pushed Makoto aside, using the pin to pick the lock.   
"Wow. That's impressive." Makoto said to her. Kyoko was silent for a moment while she focused on her work. She didn't speak as she opened the door, letting him enter first.

 

Light entered the room for the first time in days, but Mukuro didn't even flinch. She was convinced it wasn't real. She didn't even see Makoto, or the worry etched into his face. He tried to assess the situation, slowly approaching her.  
"Ikusaba-san?" He asked, slowly approaching her. She looked up at him, a distant look in her eyes. Lights on, nobody home almost. He frowned when he finally noticed the bottom of her face still covered in dried blood from when she was beaten up by her kidnappers. What really caught Makoto off guard was what Mukuro did next. She laughed. Quiet, slow, but she was still laughing.  
"I know you're not there..." she said lowly, her voice raspy. She was in pain as she talked, and it showed. "You're just in my head... Naegi-kun would never save me..." that broke Makoto's heart to know she thought he wouldn't even try to save her if she was in danger like this. He thought of what he could do to make her realise he was really there and he was going to help her.   
"You know, I never told you, did I?" He started slowly, kneeling down in front of her. She was still watching him, knowing her previous visions of him had never come that close to her. He definitely had her interest. "You're my best friend, Mukuro." He told her. Her eyes widened slightly. Now she knew she wasn't making him up this time. He'd never called her by her first name or said she was his best friend.  
"Makoto..." she decided to use his first name too, blinking as her eyes dampened slightly. "You really came..." She was relieved and happy now. He nodded, relief flooding him.   
"You're in safe hands now. Me and Kirigiri-san are here to help you." Makoto told her, starting to fiddle with the ropes in hope of untying her. As she was mentioned, Kyoko came in and got to work picking the locks of the cuffs. She stayed still, barely having the energy to move. "Are you thirsty?" Makoto asked, dropping the ropes now she'd been untied. It was taking Kyoko longer to pick the locks on the cuffs, so he had a moment to give her some water. She nodded weakly, watching him take the lid off the water bottle. He had to hold the bottle for her and was careful to not spill the water down her.   
"Okay. Let's go." Kyoko said as the lock broke, setting Mukuro free. Makoto helped her up, Kyoko supporting her on the other side as they left. She was weakened from the dehydration and sleep deprivation, but with the right care, she'd soon be back to herself. Makoto certainly hoped so, at least.


	4. Your Hope Is My Despair

Makoto and Kyoko finally arrived at the school infirmary. The school day was already over, but Kyoko had already talked Ultimate Nurse Mikan into staying for them. Her arms were starting to ache, as was Makoto's, but they had to support Mukuro. She was on the verge of passing out, and was weak from what she'd been though, and she needed their support.  
"We're nearly there." Makoto tried to encourage her, plastering a smile on to his face. She made one very small nod, stumbling yet again. He caught her, watching as Kyoko opened the infirmary door. Mikan was wrapping her arm in a bandage when the door opened. She jumped up and ran over.  
"You're here. I was getting worried something had gone wrong." Mikan said to Kyoko, taking over. She helped Mukuro on to a bed, getting to work on medical care.  
"You two can go now. Come back tomorrow so Ikusaba-san can sleep." Mikan told them timidly, not even looking at her underclassmen as she got to work tending to Mukuro's injuries. Kyoko nodded, leaving the room with Makoto behind her.  
"I'll talk to you later. You should probably let Enoshima-san know what is going on with her sister." Kyoko suggested to him, walking back to her dorm. Makoto headed back to his room too, taking his phone from his pocket. He noticed several missed called from Sayaka. He sent a quick text to Junko before deciding to call Sayaka.  
"Makoto-kun, where have you been all day?" She asked, having answered almost immediately. She sounded worried about him. He sighed a little as he kept walking.  
"I had to find Ikusaba-san. She went missing, remember?" He said to her. He could almost hear Sayaka pouting. "I found her though. I thought you were in rehearsals all of today, what's with all the calls?" He asked.  
"Rehearsals were cancelled today. I wanted to spend time with my boyfriend." She whined down the phone. He felt bad now. They didn't get to spent that much time together due to all her rehearsals, and now they'd lost another day together because he went to find Mukuro. He didn't regret it though. He'd saved her life.  
"I'm sorry babe. What about tomorrow?" He asked as he reached his door, fumbling around in his pocket for his room key. He wanted to spend time with her. He had so much love in his heart to shower her with.  
"I can't. I have a rehearsal tomorrow." She told him. He frowned as he went into his room, sitting on the bed. Looked like he was still going to be mostly on his own, with Sayaka in rehearsals and Mukuro currently in the infirmary recovering. "I have to go now. Goodnight Makoto-kun." She ended the call before he had the chance to say good night in response.

Mikan stayed awake the whole night taking care of Mukuro, and now she was exhausted. Mukuro was sleeping, shivering under the thin blanket Mikan had found for her. She thought for a moment before hesitantly climbing into the bed beside her. Mikan was fairly warm, she knew that, and she hoped she'd at least be able to warm her enough so she'd stop shivering. She gently wrapped her arms around Mukuro, her eyes closing. She was out like a light within minutes, not even noticing when Junko entered the room half an hour later.  
"Whore! What are you doing in bed with my sister?" She snapped at Mikan, causing the timid nurse to wake up immediately. She let go and jumped out of the bed, knocking the blanket on the floor in the process.  
"I'm sorry!" She cried, shaking. Junko smirked and sat down on the chair beside Mukuro's bed as she woke up. The commotion had disrupted her sleep. Junko turned her attention to Mukuro, silently waving her hand at Mikan to shut her up.  
"How ya feeling sis?" Junko asked, sitting up and staring at her. She hadn't seen her in a few days, and could tell she wasn't quite the same. She wasn't going to talk about despair right now. Not with Mikan around.  
"Hungry... thirsty... tired..." Mukuro told her, trying to force herself to sit up. Junko pushed her back with some force, narrowing her eyes for a moment.  
"Tsumiki-san, babe, do me a favour. You know what'll be best for her to eat and drink, go get it for me." Junko asked, giving her a sickly sweet smile. Mikan nodded and rushed out, almost but not quite tripping into some embarrassing pose. As soon as she was gone, she jumped on the bed right next to Mukuro. "I bet it was despairing, right?" Junko asked, getting excited. Mukuro looked up at her, keeping relatively still. She just watched her twin, happy she was interested in her like this. "Being kidnapped and locked away who knows where, left unable to eat, sleep or drink. Being isolated and completely alone, wondering how much longer your body had before it couldn't keep going. Oh the despair sounds incredible!" She continued on, laying back on top of her. She got up soon after, sitting back on the chair beside her. "You'd better not die on me any time soon. Don't get me wrong, I'd absolutely love the despair your death would bring, but I actually need you to make my plan work." Junko told her, causing her to smile shyly. It felt incredible to know Junko actually needed her, that she wasn't disposable to her. 

Sayaka left her rehearsal at around 7pm to a surprise. Waiting outside was Makoto, holding a bouquet of flowers for her. Her mouth opened in shock slowly as she walked over to him.  
”Makoto... what's all this?" She asked in shock as he handed the flowers to her. He blushed and smiled sheepishly, looking at the smile that was forming on her face.  
"We've hardly spent any time together since we became a couple, I propose tonight is all about us." He told her, taking hold of her free hand. He really could be a gentleman if he wanted to, and Sayaka was impressed. "We could go see a movie, or get dinner, whatever you want." He told her. She nodded and smiled back, gripping his hand.  
"Let's just get McDonalds, go back to the dorms and watch a movie. One we can sing along to and just have a good time." She suggested to him. He nodded and walked with her to the nearest McDonald's, excited to finally spend time with Sayaka. This was almost like a date for them.

Silence filled the nurse's office, with Mukuro looking around. Mikan has gone home, and now Mukuro was alone. She didn't know why, but she'd expected Makoto to come see her today. She remembered him being the one to bring her here. Him, and Kyoko, but she'd dropped by on her way out just to check on her. She was starting to get lonely.  
"Mukuro? You okay?" She heard Makoto's familiar voice, turning to the door. A disappointed feeling washed over her when she saw he wasn't there. She was alone, the demons playing with her mind again. She laughed dryly, sitting herself up.  
"You're not there, Makoto. I really wish you were though." She said, almost like she was talking to herself. Silence soon filled the nurse's office again, and she realised just how alone she really was. She really needed someone.

The next morning, Junko INSISTED on talking to Mukuro alone. Mikan had allowed it, busying herself in the chem lab. Mukuro was awake, looking like she hadn't slept at all which she hadn't.   
"You know, I was thinking, and I think it would've been more despairing for me if you'd never been found." Junko told Mukuro, brushing a lock of hair over her shoulder. Mukuro just looked at her, frowning in dismay. "Even better, you'd died before you were found. Then you would've given that Naegi boy you love a healthy dose of despair. Wouldn't that have been great?" She sighed and folded her arms. Mukuro bit her lip, looking down. She was confused and saddened. All she had wanted was to be back with her, and it seemed like Junko didn't want anything to do with her right now.   
"What do you mean?" Mukuro tentatively asked, forcing herself to sit up and look at Junko. She still wasn't herself, that would take time, but she was trying her best.  
"Kill yourself." Junko's response was blunt and to the point, but Mukuro was taken back by surprise. Of all the things Junko could've said to her, that was not something that had crossed her mind.  
"You want me to commit suicide?!" Mukuro asked as her voice unstuck itself in her throat. Junko laughed, roughly grabbing and shaking Mukuro's shoulder enough to make her a little dizzy.   
"No you moron! Well, not exactly." She pushed Mukuro and jumped up on to the gurney. She grabbed Mukuro's shirt and pulled her closer so there was mere inches between them. "It must be so despairingly heartbreaking to watch the one you love with someone who doesn't appreciate him. He hasn't even come to see you even though he said he was so worried about you. All you can do is give up. Stop eating or drinking until that takes your life. Let yourself die while everyone who pretends to care tells you that this isn't healthy." Junko said darkly into her twin's ear. Mukuro's mouth hung open, not knowing how on earth she was going to respond. Junko wanted her dead. That's all she was hearing.   
"B-But why? Don't you need me anymore?" Mukuro asked timidly, her eyes wide as she watched everything Junko did. Junko sighed and shoved her back into a laying position and got off the gurney.   
"Of course I need you, and that why it would be so despairing to have you die." Junko told her, sounding frustrated that she had to explain everything to her. Mukuro nodded slowly.   
"I see, but I can't die while you still need me." She was actually relieved that Junko still wanted and needed her. Junko pouted and rolled her eyes, getting up.   
"Well, I might need you, but I'm bored of you now. Bye!" Junko giggled and sprinted off, going to class. Mukuro frowned and curled up on the bed, staring blankly at the door waiting for someone to come in.

Makoto was alone again, since Sayaka was going to be at rehearsals until 10pm. He got along well with everyone, but only really felt close to Sayaka and Mukuro. He thought his day was going to be dull and lonely, until Hina approached his table.   
"Hey Naegi-kun. Me and some of the others are going skating tonight after school. Wanna come with?" She asked, smiling brightly and sitting on his desk. Her positive energy definitely brightened up Makoto's dull mood.   
"Sure. Sounds fun." He nodded. Hina got up and left, probably to invite someone else. He sighed and looked around, not expecting the classroom door to open when it did. Class wasn't supposed to start for another five minutes, so he didn't think it would be the teacher. He certainly didn't think it would be Mukuro, but in she stumbled. She certainly wasn't back to full health, but she certainly was better than when she'd been found. He got up and walked over, grabbing her hand to keep her from tripping.   
"Are you okay? Shouldn't you be resting?" He asked, very concerned. She nodded, standing herself up. She held on to his hand in return, not wanting him to let go. He didn't.   
"I'm fine." She said plainly, looking at him for the first time since she found out Makoto was dating Sayaka. She wasn't so sure she liked seeing him concerned. "I just need to take it careful. I'll be fine, don't worry about me." She insisted. Makoto nodded, trying to relax a little. Still he worried for her.   
"Ikusaba-san!" Hina ran over and practically jumped on her, causing her to panic a little and grip Makoto's hand with a strength that caused Makoto to yelp slightly. "Sorry!" Hina got off Mukuro, but that didn't loosen her grip on Makoto's hand even a little. "I just wanted to ask if you wanted to come skating with me and Naegi-kun and some of the others after school." Hina stumbled over her words out of embarrassment.  
"Sure." Mukuro said plainly as Makoto pulled his hand away from hers. She let go, putting her hand behind her back and feeling awkward. Hina grinned and ran off again. "Sorry if I hurt you..." she apologised quietly, walking back to her desk. Makoto nodded, watching her as he went back to his own desk. 

That day after school, several members of the class gathered at the skating rink. Even Junko had decided to show, although her intentions weren't good. She was trying to make sure Mukuro didn't get close to Makoto. That would be disruptive in all the worst ways for her. Makoto was fairly decent at skating, having been several times with his sister when they were younger. Mukuro was far more unsteady on her feet, much to Junko's amusement. The soldier just tried to focus on staying balanced as she skated around the rink. She wanted to go closer to Makoto and talk to him a little more, but she held herself back.   
"Mukuro!" She could've sworn she heard Makoto's voice coming from behind her. She turned, but noticed he was on the other side of the rink. He hadn't called for her, and even if he had she wouldn't have been able to hear him all that well. The turn caused her to stumble and slam into the low wall around the rink. She fell to the floor, looking around.   
"Are you okay?" Makoto asked, skating over to her. He had seen her fall, and was kinda concerned. He held his hand out to her, smiling warmly like usual. Junko saw what he was doing, skating over and practically shoving Makoto out the way before grabbing Mukuro's hand and yanking her to her feet.  
"There. All better!" Junko said confidently to her, smirking wickedly before turning and skating away. Mukuro was left just standing and rubbing her side. A bruise would surely form from that fall in the morning. Makoto continued to skate around, but found himself constantly. He was concerned for her. He could just see it in her eyes that she wasn't happy, that she was deeply troubled by something, but he didn't have it in him to talk to her. That was when Junko approached him. "What's up? I can tell something is bothering you." She said, pretending to be concerned. In truth, she already knew exactly what was bothering him and what she was going to do.  
"There's something wrong with Ikusaba-san, and I want to talk to her but I don't know how to approach the situation." Makoto confided in her. Knowing Junko and Mukuro were siblings, she'd know what would be wrong with her and what would be best for her. Well, he assumed as much.   
"Don't." Junko said that one word coldly. Makoto was a little surprised, but not as much as when Junko grabbed his wrist and yanked him to somewhere more private. She clearly wanted to talk privately to him. "Someone broke my sister's heart, and it's not in your or her best interest to talk to her." Junko insisted. She didn't make any kind of hint that it was him who broke her heart, although she did wonder how despairing it would be for Mukuro if she told Makoto her feelings towards him.  
"But if she's sad wouldn't it be good to talk it out?" Makoto asked, raising his eyebrow. He knew when he was sad he liked to talk about what made him sad. That cheered him up. Junko sighed and shook her head, folding her arms.   
"Naegi-kun, darling. You've known her for a few weeks at most. I've grown up with her from the moment we came into the world together." Junko started, glaring directly into his green eyes. She wondered what Mukuro actually saw in him as she did. "I think I know a hell of a lot more about my sister, like if she's sad and the best thing to do if she is. Just keep your distance." She insisted she turned to walk away, stopping and smirking. "For her sake, and for yours." She then left, leaving Makoto to wonder what the hell had just happened.


	5. Don’t Fall

Class was ending, but Makoto had no motivation to move. Sayaka and him had agreed to eat lunch together, since she would be here until the end of lunch break because of another rehearsal. She had told him she wanted to talk to him about something really important. He looked around the room, his eyes meeting Mukuro's for a moment. She seemed tired, and still troubled. She looked away after a mere second though. Class soon ended, and Sayaka approached his desk before he could do anything.  
"Hey, Makoto-kun, can we talk?" She asked innocently, fiddling with the end of her skirt. He got up and nodded, gently grabbing her hand to ease her fiddling fingers.  
"What is it about?" He asked. He was a little anxious, noticing her behaviour was similar to that of when she asked him out. Nothing could prepare him for what she would want to talk about though.  
"I think we should break up." She sounded sad when she said that, but she was trying not to let it show. Makoto was very taken aback. "Don't get me wrong, I do still care about you very much, but I just don't have the time to be in a relationship right now. I'm so focused on my dreams, and I don't want to be unfair to you." She explained further, forcing herself to smile a little. Makoto nodded slowly, forcing himself to smile too.  
"I understand." He reassured her. She seemed content with that.  
"Okay. Let's stay friends though. You can do that, right?" She asked, letting go and extending her pinkie finger towards him. He smiled and nodded, linking his pinkie with hers.  
"Of course. We'll stay friends no matter what." He promised her. He didn't want to let Sayaka go. Even though they weren't dating, he still cared very much for her. She'd still be his best friend.

Makoto still couldn't help feeling a little bit defeated as he went back to his dorm. He was sad his relationship with Sayaka, the one he had been wanting since middle school, had come to such a sudden end but he knew it was for the best. When he reached the dorm, only one other person was around, Mukuro.  
"Hi." He decided to say, remembering what Junko had told him about talking to her. Still, he wanted to make an effort to talk to her, even if it was just pleasantries like this. She was his friend after all. She looked up at him, waving at him shyly.  
"Hi Naegi-kun." She said softly, wondering if he could hear her. Makoto was a tad disheartened that she had used his surname despite him giving her permission to use his first name. She leant on her dorm door, looking at him. She expected him to start a conversation, but an awkward silence just hung in the air. This silence was broken by Mukuro's door opening, and her falling through it with a surprised 'ah!'.  
"You okay?" Makoto called out to her, concerned. He didn't get a response from her. Instead, all that happened was Mukuro's door slammed shut. He frowned and just went back to his own room, hoping she was okay. 

Junko meanwhile was stood over her sister, who was still laying on the floor looking up. Junko's arms were folded, glaring down her nose. She'd heard Makoto talking to Mukuro, even when she'd explicitly told him to stay away, and was now angry. With nobody else around, Mukuro would be her metaphorical punching bag.  
"You remember what I told you the other day, right?" Junko asked. She didn't wait for an answer, grabbing her twin by the wrist and dragging her over to the bed. Mukuro didn't fight or even do anything as she was dragged along the floor by her wrist. "Well, you gotta do it tomorrow!" She announced, letting her go. Mukuro sat up, looking at her with a frown. She remembered exactly what Junko wanted her to do, and she really didn't want to do that.  
"Why tomorrow?" Mukuro decided to ask. Junko groaned loudly, almost like those two words had physically hurt Junko. She sat back on the bed, putting both her feet roughly on Mukuro's shoulders like a foot rest.  
"Because I'm bored of waiting and you have become entirely useless to me." Junko told her rather bluntly, folding her arms. She could see how shattered Mukuro was by that, but she was trying not to care. She was enjoying Mukuro's despair.  
"Useless?" Mukuro asked quietly, her eyes starting to brim with tears. This was her worst nightmare. All her life, she'd been conditioned to be little more than Junko's right hand woman. She'd been broken this way, and now she was being thrown aside like she meant nothing.  
"Yes, useless. I don't need you anymore. The best thing you can do now is go up to the roof tomorrow and jump." Junko demanded, moving one foot so she was now prodding Mukuro in the chest. "You've always been useless, but I kept you around because I could find some use for you. Now I've found a version of you that's actually got some value for me, I don't need you." She continued, smirking as she gave her twin a sharp kick in the chest. Mukuro fell back, in silent shock. Junko stood up and walked straight to her, looking her directly in the eye. "Tomorrow. After school. You know what needs to be done." She reminded her bluntly, suddenly pulling her to her feet and hugging her. Mukuro just froze in place, her mouth hanging open. She was just broken now. 

After school, Mukuro was exactly where her sister had told her to be. The wind was heavy, and damp rain just added to the storm inside her mind. Her clothes and hair were soaked through. She was stood on the ledge, looking down at the ground. The fall would almost definitely be enough to end her life. She blinked once, and couldn't tell if it was a tear or a drop of rain that fell down her cheek.  
"Useless useless useless!" She heard Junko's voice repeat that heartbreaking word over and over again in her mind. She looked around, not seeing her sister anywhere. She just sighed and looked back down, staring at her shoes.  
"I know, Junko-chan, I know. I'm useless." Mukuro said to herself, laughing a little. Her laugh was void of happiness, or any other emotion. "Useless Mukuro-chan. Can't even take the jump you wanted from me. I'm useless, useless, useless." She let her body sway with the wind, wrapping her arms around herself gently. She was still hesitating. She didn't want to jump, but that was Junko's order and her orders were god.  
"Mukuro." She turned, this time hearing Makoto's voice. Of course, he wasn't there, and it was just in her head. It always seemed to be in her head.  
"Oh, Makoto-kun... how I wish you'd stop me..." she admitted to herself. She turned away from the door, taking a tiny step closer to the edge. She knew she just had to do it. She took a deep breath, about to let herself fall forwards, when she heard a familiar voice behind her. This time though, it was real. It wasn't just in her head.  
"Mukuro?"  
"Makoto-kun..." those two soft words slipped out of Mukuro's mouth as her eyes met his. Makoto noticed her shoes placed next to the ledge, which instantly caused him to worry. The shoes meant she was planning to take her life, stepping from this life to the next.  
"What are you doing?" He asked, stepping closer. His mind was going a million miles a minute, but on the outside he was calm. He didn't want to startle her when she was that close to the edge. One wrong move and he'd lose her forever.  
"It doesn't matter, Makoto-kun. Just go." She told him, turning away again. She was looking down at the ground, just waiting until he was gone to do what she'd been lead to believe she needed to do. He shook his head, walking over and suddenly grabbing her wrist.  
"I'm not going to go. I'm not going to leave you, Mukuro-san. You're my best friend, and I'm not letting you do something this stupid." He insisted adamantly. Mukuro didn't look at him. She couldn't. She just wanted to remember him smiling at her, not whatever expression was on his face right now. "Step down. Talk to me, please. Tell me what lead you to this point. I want to help you, Mukuro-san. Please." Mukuro hesitated a lot, her feet moving uncomfortably. She wanted to step down and talk to him, but Junko had ordered that she jump. She looked back, seeing the desperate and almost sad look in his eyes. That settled it. She could allow herself this conversation, even if it was the last. She took a deep breath and stepped off the ledge. Makoto instantly hugged her, taking her by surprise. She froze up, but her resolve melted. Suddenly, she burst into tears. She grabbed him and cried on to his shoulder, sobbing loudly. Makoto didn't expect this at all, but rubbed her back and played with her hair gently to comfort her. "Just let it all out... it's okay..." he told her softly. This carried on for almost ten minutes, with Mukuro crying and Makoto comforting her. Once she was finally calm, he sat down with her on the ledge, keeping her in his arms. She seemed most contented there. "Can you talk now?" He asked gently, not wanting to push her too far. She nodded, breaking the hug. It didn't feel right to talk to him while hugging him like that. "Why were you going to jump?" He asked, a chill going down his spine at the thought, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. Now wasn't the time to be depressed over that.  
"She told me to." Was Mukuro's response. She wasn't going to 'out' Junko for all the horrible things she'd said and done to her. She didn't have it in her.  
"What? Can you tell me who 'she' is?" He asked, dulling his emotional response. Mukuro shook her head, but that didn't surprise Makoto. He didn't expect her to be able to tell him. "It's okay. If there comes a day you can tell me, then don't hesitate. I'll be here no matter what." He promised her, linking his pinkie with her. She looked at his hand, then up at him.  
"You promise?" She asked quietly. He nodded and smiled his usual smile at her. That smile almost sealed it in her mind that she wouldn't jump today, but it was his next two words that did it. "I promise." The pair fell silent for a moment, both damp from the rain that was still falling. The wind had died down though. "I guess, since we're talking, I'll tell you what's on my mind. Me and Maizono-san broke up yesterday." He decided to admit. He hadn't spoken about it with anyone, but now seemed a good time. He didn't really know why though.  
"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that..." she said to him, a little awkwardly. She didn't really know how to comfort people in situations like this, but she wanted to try.  
"Ah, it's okay. We're still friends. We only went on one date, and we didn't do many romantic things. She was so busy with her work that we just decided it was best we broke up." Makoto assured her, laughing a little and brushing his soaked hair from his face. "It just kinda stings as any breakup would, you know?" Makoto said to her casually. He remembered Junko saying she'd had her heart broken recently, so he assumed she understood.  
"Not really." Of course she didn't have a clue. Makoto fell quiet, looking towards the door. He was at a loss for what to do now. Mukuro meanwhile shuffled closer to him, resting her head gently on Makoto's shoulder. She wanted to be closer to him, and he didn't mind at all. He gently put his arm around her to keep her closer. This felt pretty nice for a while, until he noticed her shivering. She was soaked through, and the rain was still far from stopping. It was getting late now anyway.  
"Do you think we should head inside?" He asked, noticing something had caught her eye in the distance. He looked over, seeing the sun was setting. Even with the rain and clouds, the sunset was visible and beautiful. "You'd rather watch the sun set, right?" He asked. The only answer he got was a gentle nod of the head from her. He took off his damp blazer and put it around her shoulders. He hoped that would ease her shivering, if only temporarily. She held the damp blazer around herself, noticing it was warm still. He smiled and relaxed, allowing a pleasant silence to fall over the pair as they watched the sun set in the distance.  
"I like the sun set." Mukuro said quietly after a while. She was still staring out at the sun set, not sure if Makoto was still with her until she felt him place his hand over hers. "It's pretty to look at. Even when the sun goes down, that just gives the moon a chance to shine. It's like me and my sister in a way. She's the sun, and I'm the moon." Mukuro continued telling him, a faint smile appearing on her face for the first time throughout the conversation. Makoto nodded, deciding that was a suitable analogy for her and Junko.  
"Well, you should surround yourself with people who prefer the nighttime, like me." Makoto told her casually. That comment made Mukuro blush, and mumble some syllables that sounded like they could've been the start of a sentence. Makoto let out a soft laugh. He found her stuttering kind of cute. Another long period of silence followed. "Maybe you should stay in my room tonight." He suggested to her, standing up.  
"Huh?" Mukuro looked up at him, seeing his hand held out to her. He rubbed the back of his neck.  
"Well, after all this I wanna be able to keep an eye on you. You're my best friend, and I wouldn't know what I would do if anything happened to you after all this." He insisted, still holding his hand out to her. She hesitated, but slipped her hand into his. She stood up and slipped her soaking shoes back on her feet, following him off the roof without looking back.


End file.
